Electrical junction box assembly

• US 10,374,404 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Calabrese, Evan Giannotti
• Original Assignee: Christopher Calabrese, Evan Giannotti
• Inventors: Calabrese, Christopher, Giannotti, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R
• Application Number:
  US16/019,427
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 174480, 174481, 174 50, 174 53, 174 57, 174 58, 174502, 174503, 174 62, 174 63, 174 61, 220 32- 39, 220 402, 248906
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/083 Inlets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/10 for surface mounting on a wall

Abstract

An assembly including an electrical junction box and an accompanying shroud plate wherein the latter is aligned with the mounting elements found in a typical junction box so as to maintain a relationship between the shroud plate and the junction box such that when the assembly is installed, stray nails and/or screws used to secure sheetrock or the like to framing members such as wall studs does not penetrate a rear wall of the junction box or the surface covering of cables connected to the box.

Claims

1. An assembly for protecting an electrical junction box together with an array of one or more electrical cables connected to the junction box, said assembly comprising:

(a) said junction box, having a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second side wall;

(b) a shroud plate, said shroud plate having a first segment with an inside surface, said first segment including a first section that is coextensive with the rear wall of said junction box, and a second and third section extending from the first section, each of the second and third sections extending a respective predetermined distance above and below the top and bottom walls respectively;

said shroud plate having at least one additional segment extending at 90°

from said first segment in the direction that the first sidewall extends from the rear wall of said junction box; and

,

(c) at least a first securing means including a first captive fastening member mounting element positioned on an outside surface of the top wall, a first captive fastening member including a head end, a shaft segment with a prescribed cross sectional dimension positioned within said mounting element and a first tip end, said at least a first securing means having a first opening positioned in said at least one additional segment at a predetermined distance from the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate sufficient for said first opening to align with said first tip end when the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate is in close proximity to the rear wall of said junction box and the first captive fastening member is positioned in the first captive fastening member mounting element, so that at a time of installing said assembly to a wall stud, upon applying an axial force to said head end, said first captive fastening member is caused to move axially through said first opening, such that a portion of said shaft segment of the first captive fastening member engages the wall stud, whereby said assembly is secured thereto.

2. The assembly claimed in claim 1 wherein, said assembly further includes means to securely maintain an axial alignment of said first opening to said tip end.

3. The assembly claimed in claim 2 wherein said means to securely maintain an axial alignment of said first opening to said first tip end, is a tack weld between said first tip end and an immediately adjacent portion of said at least one additional segment.

4. The assembly claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly further includes a second securing means for further securing said assembly to the wall stud, said second securing means having a second captive fastening member mounting element positioned on an outside surface of the bottom wall of said junction box, and a second captive fastening member including a second head end, a shaft segment with a prescribed cross sectional dimension positioned within said second mounting element, and a second tip end, said second securing means having a second opening positioned in said at least one additional segment at a predetermined distance from the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate sufficient for said second opening to align with said tip end of said second captive fastening member when the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate is in close proximity to the rear wall of said junction box and said second captive fastening member is positioned in the second captive fastening member mounting element, so that at a time of installing said assembly to the wall stud, upon applying an axial force to said second head end, said second captive fastening member moves axially through said second opening, such that a portion of said shaft segment of said second captive fastening member engages the wall stud, whereby said assembly is further secured thereto.

5. The assembly claimed in claim 4 wherein, said assembly further includes means to securely maintain an axial alignment of said second opening to said second tip end.

6. The assembly claimed in claim 5 wherein said means to securely maintain an axial alignment of said first and second opening to said respective first and second tip end, is a tack weld between said first and second tip end and a respective immediately adjacent portion of said at least one additional segment.

7. The assembly claimed in claim 1 wherein said shroud plate includes a second additional segment extending at 90°

from said first segment in the direction that said first sidewall extends from the rear wall of said junction box, and,

wherein said assembly further includes a second securing means for further securing said assembly to the wall stud, said second securing means having a second captive fastening member mounting element positioned on an outside surface of the bottom wall of said junction box, and a second captive fastening member including a second head end, a shaft segment with a prescribed cross sectional dimension positioned within said second mounting element, and a second tip end, said second securing means having a second opening positioned in said second additional segment at a predetermined distance from the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate sufficient for said second opening to align with said second tip end of said second captive fastening member when the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate is in close proximity to the rear wall of said junction box and said second captive fastening member is positioned in the second captive fastening member mounting element, so that at a time of installing said assembly to the wall stud, upon applying an axial force to said second head end, said second captive fastening member moves axially through said second opening, such that a portion of said shaft segment of said second captive fastening member engages the wall stud, whereby said assembly is further secured thereto.

8. The assembly claimed in claim 7 wherein, said assembly further includes means to securely maintain an axial alignment of said first and second opening to said respective first and second tip end.

9. The assembly claimed in claim 8 wherein said means to securely maintain an axial alignment of said first and second opening to said respective first and second tip end, is a tack weld between said first and second tip end and a respective immediately adjacent portion of said respective at least one additional segment and said second additional segment.

10. An assembly for protecting an electrical junction box made of plastic material and an array of one or more electrical cables connected to said junction box, said assembly comprising:

(a) said junction box, said junction box having a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

(b) a shroud plate, said shroud plate having a first segment with an inside surface, said first segment including a first section that is coextensive with the rear wall of said junction box, and a second and third section extending from the first section, each of the second and third sections extending a respective predetermined distance above and below the top and bottom walls respectively;

said shroud plate having an additional segment extending at 90°

from said first segment in the direction that the first sidewall extends from the rear wall of said junction box;

(c) a first securing means including a first captive fastening member mounting element positioned on an outside surface of the top wall, a first captive fastening member including a first head end, a shaft segment with a prescribed cross sectional dimension positioned within said mounting element and a first tip end;

said first securing means having a first opening positioned in said additional segment at a predetermined distance from the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate sufficient for said first opening to align with said first tip end when the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate is in close proximity to the rear wall of said junction box and the first captive fastening member is positioned in the first captive fastening member mounting element, said first opening having a cross sectional dimension less than the cross sectional dimension of said shaft segment of said first captive fastening member, such that said first tip end is releasably captured within said first opening when said captive fastening member is positioned in a predetermined axial location within said first captive fastening member mounting element; and

,

(d) a second securing means including a second captive fastening member mounting element positioned on an outside surface of the bottom wall of said junction box, and a second captive fastening member including a second head end, a second shaft segment with a prescribed cross sectional dimension positioned within said second mounting element, and a second tip end, said second securing means having a second opening positioned in said additional segment at a distance from the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate sufficient for said second opening to align with said second tip end of said second captive fastening member when the inside surface of said first segment of said shroud plate is in close proximity to the rear wall of said junction box and said second captive fastening member is positioned in said second captive fastening member mounting element, said second respective opening having a cross-sectional dimension less than the cross sectional dimension of the shaft segment of said second captive fastening member, such that said second tip end of said second captive fastening member is releasably captured within said second opening when said second captive fastening member is positioned in a predetermined axial location within said second captive fastening member mounting element, so that at a time of installing said assembly to the wall stud, upon applying an axial force to said first and second head end, said respective first or second captive fastening member moves axially through said first or second opening, such that a portion of said shaft segment of said respective first or second captive fastening member engages the wall stud, whereby said assembly is secured thereto.

11. The assembly claimed in claim 10 wherein said respective means to securely maintain an axial alignment of said first and second opening to said respective first and second tip end, includes at least a tack weld between said respective first and second tip end and a respective immediately adjacent portion of said additional segment.